ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitch · cell · bank · prune · season · lie · tear · jam

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. season — of the year
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. lie — to recline
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bank — for money
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bank — for money
  9. tear — to rip
  10. cell — a phone
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bank — of a river
  16. pitch — completely
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. cell — in biology
  21. prune — to trim
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. season — in sport
  24. tear — from crying

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com